Railroad-tie.



No. 775,480. PATENTED NOV. 22, 19040 C. J. SWINK,

RAILROAD TIE.

APILIOATION FILED JUNE 1, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

m 62 .4% A a 1 26' 4% my ,20 5 a a i w zgr UNTTED STATES PatentedNovember 22, 1904.

CLARENCE J. SVVINK, OF LEBANON, OHIO.

RAILROAD-TIE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 775,480, dated November22, 1904.

Application filed June 1, 1904;. Serial No. 210,628. (No model.)

r a part of this specification.

My invention relates to railroad-ties, and has for its object to providea device of this class which will effectually secure and rigidly holdthe railroad-rails in position and for preventing the same from gettingout of alinement.

With this object in view my invention consists in the novel constructionof the railroadties and also in the novel means of securing the railsthereon.

My invention also consists in certain other novel features ofconstruction and in combinations of parts, which will be first fullydescribed, and afterward pointed out in the appended claims. 7

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective viewshowing a tie and a portion of a rail in position. Fig. 2 is anelevation, partly in section. -.Fig. 3 is a top plan of the rail-holdingkey. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the compound wedge locking device.Fig. 5 is a like view showing the wedges driven together. of thecompound wedge locking device, and Fig. 7 is an end view of the tie.

Like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout theseveral figures, in Which- 1 indicates the tie, which is composed of thevertical wall 2 and the curved base 3, having a web 1 for strengtheningthe same, the particular form of the base 3 being for the purpose ofmore securely ballasting and the web 4 strengthening the same. Thevertical wall 2 of the tie is provided with enlargements 5 and 6, (shownin Fig. 1,) upon which enlargements the base of the rail 7 rests inorder to give a wider base of support to said rail. Re-

Fig. 6 is a top planferring particularly to Fig. 1, it will be seen thatto the left of the enlargement 5 is a raised hooked portion 8, andassociated with enlargement 6 is a similar portion 9, attention beingdirected to the fact that both of said portions 8 and 9 are on the leftof the enlargements 5 and 6 for a purpose which will be hereinafterfully described. The tops or bearing portions of the enlargements 5 and6 are slightly cut away at 10, so that the surface of the enlargements 5and 6 are somewhat lower than the upper edge of wall 2, as clearly shownin Fig.

1. In this depression the rail 7 sits, and to the right of thedepressions is a vertical slot 11, and passing transversely through thewall 2 and through said slot 11 is a preferably square opening 12.

13 indicates the rail-locking key, which is shaped preferably as shownin Fig. 2, and is provided with a laterally-extending head 14:, havingits bottom preferably serrated at 15, as shown in Fig. 2, for thepurpose of biting into the base of the rail to more securely hold thesame to the tie and foreifectually preventing any lateral movement ofthe rail. Said key 13 is provided with a preferably square opening 16,as shown, for a purpose which will be presently described.

17 indicates the compound wedge locking device, which is composed of twowedge members 18 and 19. As shown in Fig. 4, said wedge members 18 and19 are provided at their smaller ends with a hook 20, and the portion ofthe wedge member between the hook 20'and the inclined portion is formedcomparatively thin, as shown at 21, so as to give a springy resilientfunction to the hook 20. Formed on the wedge portions 18 and 19 is a lugor projection 22, and the larger ends of the said wedge portions areprovided with a vertical wall 23 and a vertical opening 24 just insideof said portions 23. It will be noted that the inclined surfaces nearsaid openings 24 are provided with teeth 25, as clearly shown.

Having thus described the several parts of my invention, its operationis as follows: In order to secure the rail to the tie, the base of therail is inserted under the hooked portion 8 or 9, said portion 8 or 9being shaped to conform to the rail and to engage the web of the same.The key 13 is then driven into the vertical slot 11, the opening 16 insaid key being adapted to register in line with the transverse opening12 in the wall 2 of the tie. After driving the key into position the twowedge locking members 18 and 19 are inserted in the transverse opening12 from each side of the Wall 2. The said locking members are driventogether, and as the inclined surfaces of the said members pass togetherthey exert a pressure to draw the key 13 farther down into the slot 11,causing the serrated head 1 1 of the key to bite into the base of therail. As shown in Fig. 4, the Wedge members 18 and 19 are not driven totheir farthest point, and the opening 16 in the key 13 is shown just outof alinement with the transverse opening 12 in the Wall 2, the devicebeing designed so that when the rail is first secured to the tie thewedge members when driven to this position will cause the key 13 to biteinto the base of the rail, so that any wear may be taken up by furtherdriving the wedge members together until they come into the position asshown in Fig. 5, which also shows the opening 16 in the key coincidingexactly with the transverse opening 12 in the wall 2. When in thisposition, the lugs 22 on the wedge members 18 and 19 are in contact withthe Wall 2, so that all lateral movement or play between the parts iseliminated.

In order to disengage the compound wedge locking members so as to removethe key in order to repair the rail or in order to inserta new rail, asuitable instrument is driven into the openings 24in the Wedge members,so as to drive the hook 20 of said members out of engagement withthe'toothed portions thereof. The wedge members can then be drawn apartand the key removed from the slot 11 by any suitable instrument.

It will be noted that the rail-engaging portions 8 and 9 of the tie areon the left of the enlargements 5 and 6, so that after the rails aredisengaged from the tie the tie may be removed by simply sliding thesame laterally from under the rails without in any way interfering withthe rails or without disturbing any of the remaining ties. In thismanner any single tie can be removed and re placed.

It is my intention to use a cement ballastin connection with thisdevice, and,if convenient, to cover the entire tie with cement with theexception of the key, so as to protect the same from atmospheric actionand in order to prolong the life of the tie, which is to be constructedof steel or other suitable metal.

Having thus fully described my invention, I do not wish to be understoodas limiting myself to the exact construction as herein set forth, asvarious slight changes may be made therein which would fall within thelimit and scope of my invention, and I consider myself clearly entitledto all such changes and modifications.

WhatIclaim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States,

1. In a railroad-tie comprising a base and vertical portion, arail-engaging portion on said vertical portion, a railengaging keyadapted to be inserted in said vertical portion, and a compound wedgelocking device adapted to be passed through said vertical portion andthrough said key, substantially as described.

2. A railroad-tie comprising a base and a vertical portion,arail-engaging portion thereon, a rail-engaging key having a serratedhead and adapted to be inserted in said vertical portion and a lockingdevice composed of two wedge members adapted to be passed through saidvertical portion and through said key, substantially as described.

3. A railroad-tie comprising a curved base and avertical portion, a webunder said base, a rail-engaging portion on said tie, a key adapted toenter said tie and means for looking the key in engagement with therail, substantially as described.

4;. A railroad-tie comprising a rail-engaging portion, a key adapted toenter said tie, a locking device consisting of two wedge members havinga portion of their contiguous surfaces toothed, and means formed onsaid. wedge portions for engaging said toothed surfaces, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE J. SWINK.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM R. KEMPER, CHARLES R. SoUTHARD.

